OREANDA-NEWS. October 08, 2007. A group of journalists representing regional newspapers, TV and radio companies visited Smolensk NPP, reported the press-centre of Smolensk NPP.

On Oct 4 the journalists met with the director of Smolensk NPP Andrey Petrov, who told them about the plant and its social and production programs. “Smolensk NPP is one of the biggest tax payers of the region. Every year we supply the region with an average of 20bln KWh,” Petrov said.

“Constant technological upgrading, high production and safety culture and use of the best foreign experience have made our plant one of the safest in the region. Last year we were the first in a regional safety culture contest, this year we have been granted an international quality certificate.”

The head of the Information and PR Center of Rosenergoatom Ashot Nasibov told the journalists about the REA nuclear power plants and compared them with their foreign counterparts. He informed the journalists about the general public attitude towards nuclear power plants and, particularly, about the results of a relevant survey by Nuclear Safety Institute.

After the meeting the journalists visited the plant’s 1st unit launched on Dec 25 1982.

On Oct 5 the journalists took part in an ecological raid of the cooling pond of Smolensk NPP. They met with the head of the plant’s laboratory of bio-technologies Dmitry Isayenkov, who told them about the lab’s work for stocking the pond and preserving the ecological balance of the inflowing rivers.

The journalists saw with their own eyes what the plant does for protecting the environment in its nearby area.

Desnogorsk children choose profession of power engineer
The Coordinating Council for Ecological Education of Smolensk NPP met on Oct 3 to outline its activities for 2007–2008. The council comprises the plant’s experts and veterans as well as teachers of Desnogorsk high schools. Particularly, the council considered the schedule of the program for professional training of school-leavers.

Started over a decade ago, the campaign for ecological education and professional orientation of Desnogorsk school-children has given tangible results: most of the school-leavers choose the profession of power engineer.